Well-received economic data out of China pulled Asian stocks higher

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) are on pace to pare a portion of Wednesday's modest rise, with the blue-chip barometer hovering just below breakeven. "Homebuilders were the big winners yesterday, following the morning's better-than-expected September housing starts data," said Schaeffer's Senior Options Strategist Tony Venosa. "International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) dragged on the DJI, but the index managed to eke out a slight five-point gain. However, the financial sector continued its strength, closing up nearly 1.3% on the day. We'll have another busy morning with a number of economic and earnings reports on tap."